Naphtha Composition With Enhanced Reformability

ABSTRACT

Naphtha compositions with enhanced reformability are provided. The naphtha compositions can be derived from biomass, can exhibit improved N+2A values, and can be used as a reformer feedstock with little or no processing.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No.61/552,296, filed on Oct. 27, 2011.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to naphtha compositions withenhanced reformability and to processes for making such naphthacompositions. Certain embodiments of the invention relate to naphthacompositions made from biomass-based feedstocks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Reforming of naphtha has long been utilized in the petroleum refiningindustry to produce high octane reformates, a high value gasoline blendstock, and hydrogen, which can both be used elsewhere for hydrotreating.Currently, the majority of naphtha feedstocks used for reforming arederived from petroleum-based feedstocks. Unfortunately,petroleum-derived naphtha feedstocks can vary greatly in qualitydepending on their origin and method of production. Such variability infeedstock quality can lead to lower quality reformate. Additionally,reforming costs can increase due to these low quality feedstocks becausethey require additional pretreatments before they can be utilized as areformer feed. To further complicate matters, the expense of producing anaphtha composition from a petroleum-based feedstock has increased dueto the rising costs of petroleum-feedstocks. Due to the potentialdecline of global petroleum stocks, there is a strong incentive toutilize naphtha compositions that are derived from renewable resources.

In response to the shortcomings associated with petroleum-derivednaphtha compositions, there has been an increasing emphasis on producingnaphtha from renewable resources such as biomass. In many of theseprocesses, biomass is converted into various end-products that can besubsequently refined and converted into a naphtha composition.Unfortunately, these processes still produce a lower quality naphthacomposition that requires extensive refining and treatment before it canbe used as a reformer feedstock. Such extensive refining requirementsgreatly increase the overall costs of producing a high quality naphthacomposition from biomass.

It would therefore be advantageous to be able to produce a high qualitynaphtha from biomass that does not require substantial refining andtreatment prior to reforming.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In one embodiment of the present invention, a process for producing afuel is provided. The process comprises the step of reforming a naphthain the presence of a reforming catalyst to thereby produce hydrogen anda reformate. The naphtha has an N+2A value of at least 90 percent byvolume and a paraffins content of not more than 10 percent by volume.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a process for producinga fuel is provided. The process comprises the steps of: (a)thermo-catalytically converting a biomass material to thereby produce abio-oil; (b) hydrotreating at least a portion of the bio-oil to therebyproduce a hydrotreated bio-oil; (c) fractionating at least a portion ofthe hydrotreated bio-oil to thereby produce at least a hydrotreatedbiomass-derived naphtha fraction and a hydrotreated bio-distillatefraction; and (d) reforming at least a portion of the hydrotreatedbiomass-derived naphtha fraction to thereby produce hydrogen and areformate. The hydrotreated biomass-derived naphtha fraction has an N+2Avalue of at least 90 percent by volume and a paraffins content of lessthan 10 percent by volume.

In yet another embodiment, a naphtha composition is provided thatcomprises at least 20 volume percent naphthenes, at least 20 volumepercent aromatics, and not more than 10 volume percent paraffins. Thenaphtha composition has an N+2A value of at least 90 percent by volume.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below withreference to the attached figure, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a biomass conversion system accordingto one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of the invention references variousembodiments. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of theinvention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art topractice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changescan be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in alimiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only bythe appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to whichsuch claims are entitled.

The present invention relates to the production of a naphtha compositionwith enhanced reformability. In certain embodiments, the enhancednaphtha composition is at least partly derived from biomass. The naphthacompositions of the present invention can have N+2A values that arehigher than conventional petroleum-derived and conventionalbiomass-derived naphthas. For instance, the naphtha composition of thepresent invention can have an N+2A value of at least 90, 95, 100, 105,or 110 and/or not more than 200, 150, or 125 percent by volume. The“N+2A value” as used herein refers to the combined value of thenaphthenes volume percent plus double the aromatics volume percent. Thenaphtha composition can have a naphthenes content of at least 20, 30,40, 50, or 55 and/or not more than 80, 70, or 60 percent by volume.Additionally or alternatively, the naphtha composition can have anaromatics content of at least 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 and/or not more than70, 60, or 50 percent by volume. In addition to having a high N+2Avalue, the naphtha composition can also have a low paraffins content.For example, the naphtha composition can have a paraffins content of atleast 0.01, 0.1, or 0.5 and/or not more than 8, 6, 4, or 2 percent byvolume.

The naphtha composition of the present invention can be made up of amixture of different hydrocarbon compounds. For example, the naphthacomposition of the present invention can comprise at least 5, 10, 15, or20 different hydrocarbon compounds. In certain embodiments, theinventive naphtha composition is derived predominately of non-petroleumsources and therefore can have a radiocarbon signature of at least 50,75, 90, 95, or 100 percent modern carbon (pMC) as measured by ASTMD6866-11.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a biomass conversion system 10suitable for producing the naphtha composition of the present invention.The biomass conversion system 10 of FIG. 1 can include a reformer 12that reforms the naphtha composition to produce a reformate andhydrogen. It should be understood that the biomass conversion system 10shown in FIG. 1 is just one example of a system within which the presentinvention can be embodied. The present invention may find application ina wide variety of other systems where it is desirable to efficiently andeffectively produce bio-oil, upgrade bio-oil, generate hydrogen, and/orproduce a number of useful products from the byproducts of biomassconversion. The exemplary biomass conversion system 10 illustrated inFIG. 1 will now be described in more detail.

The biomass conversion system 10 of FIG. 1 includes a biomass source 14for supplying a biomass feedstock to the system. The biomass source 14can be, for example, a hopper, storage bin, railcar, over-the-roadtrailer, or any other device that may hold or store biomass. The biomasssupplied by the biomass source 14 can be in the form of solid particles.In one embodiment, the biomass particles can be fibrous biomassmaterials comprising cellulose. Examples of suitablecellulose-containing materials include algae, paper waste, and/or cottonlinters. In another embodiment, the biomass particles can comprise alignocellulosic material. Examples of suitable lignocellulosic materialsinclude forestry waste such as wood particles, saw dust, pulping waste,and tree branches; agricultural waste such as corn stover, wheat straw,and bagasse; and/or energy crops such as eucalyptus, switch grass, andcoppice.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the solid biomass particles from the biomasssource 14 can be supplied to a biomass feed system 16. The biomass feedsystem 16 can be any system capable of feeding solid particulate biomassto a biomass conversion reactor 18. While in the biomass feed system 16,the biomass material may undergo a number of pretreatments to facilitatethe subsequent conversion reactions. Such pretreatments may includedrying, roasting, torrefaction, demineralization, steam explosion,mechanical agitation, grinding, milling, debarking, and/or anycombination thereof.

In one embodiment, it may be desirable to combine the biomass with acatalyst in the biomass feed system 16 prior to introducing the biomassinto the biomass conversion reactor 18. Alternatively, the catalyst maybe introduced directly into the biomass conversion reactor 18. Thecatalyst may be fresh and/or regenerated catalyst. The catalyst can be aheterogeneous cracking catalyst such as, for example, a solid acid, anamorphous silica-alumina, alumina phosphates, or a zeolite. Examples ofsuitable zeolites include ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-18, ZSM-22, ZSM-23,zeolite-L, Mordenite, Beta, Ferrierite, zeolite-Y, or combinationsthereof. Additionally or alternatively, the catalyst may comprise asuper acid. Examples of suitable super acids include Nafion-H,sulfonated, phosphated, or fluorinated forms of zirconia, titania,alumina, silica-alumina, and/or clays. In another embodiment, thecatalyst may comprise a solid base. Examples of suitable solid basesinclude metal oxides, metal hydroxides, and/or metal carbonates. Inparticular, the oxides, hydroxides, and carbonates of alkali metals,alkaline earth metals, transition metals, and/or rare earth metals aresuitable. Other suitable solid bases include layered double hydroxides,mixed metal oxides, hydrotalcite, clays, and/or combinations thereof. Inyet another embodiment, the catalyst can also comprise an alumina, suchas alpha-alumina.

In certain embodiments, the catalyst can be an equilibrium catalyst(E-cat) from a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit of an oil refinery.This term refers to catalyst material that has, on average, circulatedin the FCC unit for a considerable length of time. The term is used todistinguish fresh catalyst, which has not been exposed to theenvironment of the FCC unit, and which has much greater catalyticactivity than the E-cat. This spent catalyst is a waste product from oilrefineries, and as such, is abundantly available at low cost.

It should be noted that solid biomass materials generally containminerals. It is recognized that some of these minerals, such aspotassium carbonate, can have catalytic activity in the conversion ofthe biomass material. Even though these minerals are typically presentduring the chemical conversion taking place in the biomass conversionreactor 18, they are not considered catalysts.

The biomass feed system 16 introduces the biomass feedstock into thebiomass conversion reactor 18. In the biomass conversion reactor 18,biomass is subjected to a conversion reaction that produces bio-oil. Thereactor 18 can be any system or device capable of converting biomass tobio-oil. The biomass conversion reactor 18 can be, for example, afluidized bed reactor, a cyclone reactor, an ablative reactor, or ariser reactor. While in the biomass conversion reactor 18, the biomassfeedstock can be subjected to thermochemical conversion orthermo-catalytic conversion in order to produce bio-oil.

“Thermochemical conversion” as used herein refers to a non-catalyticconversion process such as, for example, fast pyrolysis, alkylation,isomerization, decarboxylation, or decarbonylation. In certainembodiments, the thermochemical conversion refers to fast pyrolysisprocesses, which convert all or part of the biomass to bio-oil byheating the biomass in an oxygen-poor or oxygen-free atmosphere. Fastpyrolysis utilizes much shorter residence times that conventionalpyrolysis, i.e., less than 10 seconds. For example, the residence timesof fast pyrolysis can be, for example, less than 10, 5, 2, or 1 seconds.Additionally, fast pyrolysis can occur at temperatures of at least 200°C., 300° C., 400° C., or 500° C. and not more than 1,000° C., 800° C.,700° C., or 600° C. As used above, the term “oxygen-poor” refers to anatmosphere containing less oxygen than ambient air. In general, theamount of oxygen should be such as to avoid combustion of the biomassmaterial, or vaporized and gaseous products emanating from the biomassmaterial, at the pyrolysis temperature. Preferably, the atmosphere isessentially oxygen-free such that it contains less than about 1 weightpercent oxygen. As used herein, “oxygen-free” refers to an atmospherethat is substantially free of molecular oxygen.

“Thermo-catalytic conversion” as used herein refers to a catalyticconversion process, wherein a catalyst is used to help facilitatecracking, alkylation, isomerization, decarboxylation, and/ordecarbonylation of the biomass and/or its conversion products. Incertain embodiments, the thermo-catalytic process occurs under fastpyrolysis conditions. Accordingly, in a biomass thermo-catalyticconversion process, a catalyst is used in the reactor 18 to facilitatethe conversion of the biomass to bio-oil. As previously discussed, thecatalyst can be pre-mixed with the biomass before introduction into thereactor 18 or it can be introduced into the reactor 18 separately.

In one embodiment, the biomass conversion reactor 18 can be a riserreactor with the conversion reaction being biomass thermo-catalyticconversion. As discussed above, the biomass thermo-catalytic conversionshould occur in an oxygen-poor or, preferably, oxygen-free atmosphere.In another embodiment, biomass thermo-catalytic conversion is carriedout in the presence of an inert gas, such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide,and/or steam. Alternatively, the biomass thermo-catalytic conversion canbe carried out in the presence of a reducing gas, such as hydrogen,carbon monoxide, non-condensable gases recycled from the biomassconversion process, or combinations thereof.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the conversion effluent 20 exiting thebiomass conversion reactor 18 generally comprises gas, vapors, andsolids. As used herein, the vapors produced during the conversionreaction may interchangeably be referred to as “bio-oil,” which is thecommon name for the vapors when condensed into their liquid state. Inthe case of biomass thermo-catalytic conversion, the solids in theconversion effluent 20 generally comprise particles of char, ash,unconverted portions of biomass, and/or spent catalyst. Because suchsolids (particularly the unconverted biomass and spent catalyst) cancontribute to the tendency of the bio-oil to form ash, it isparticularly desirable to remove the solids so that the bio-oil isessentially solids free, preferably having an ash content (solidscontent) of less than about 3000 ppmw, 2000 ppmw, or 1000 ppmw.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the conversion effluent 20 from the biomassconversion reactor 18 can be introduced into a solids separator 22. Thesolids separator 22 can be any conventional device capable of separatingsolids from gas and vapors such as, for example, a cyclone separator, agas filter, or combinations thereof. The solids separator 22 removes asubstantial portion of the solids (e.g., spent catalysts, char, and/orheat carrier solids) from the conversion effluent 20. The solidparticles 24 recovered in the solids separator 22 can be introduced intoa regenerator 26 for regeneration, typically by combustion. Afterregeneration, at least a portion of the hot regenerated solids can beintroduced directly into the biomass conversion reactor 18 via line 28.Alternatively or additionally, the hot regenerated solids can bedirected via line 30 to the biomass feed system 16 for combination withthe biomass feedstock prior to introduction into the biomass conversionreactor 18.

The substantially solids-free stream 32 exiting the solids separator 22can then be introduced into a condenser 34. Within the condenser 34, thevapors are condensed or partially condensed into a bio-oil stream 36 andseparated from the non-condensable gases. In certain embodiments, thecondenser 34 can use water recycled from the conversion of biomass as aquench stream. The separated and condensed bio-oil can have an organicoxygen content of at least 5, 10, 15, or 20 weight percent and/or notmore than 40, 30, or 25 weight percent. As shown in FIG. 1, theseparated non-condensable gases are removed from the condenser 34 as anon-condensable gas stream. The non-condensable gases removed from thecondenser 34 may be, optionally, recycled to the biomass conversionreactor 18 for use as a lift gas.

Subsequent to exiting the condenser 34, the bio-oil stream 36 isintroduced into a hydrotreater 38. Due to the high quality and the lowsulfur content of the bio-oil, the bio-oil stream 36 may not besubjected to fractionation, washing, decanting, centrifugation,desalting, extraction, adsorption, reverse osmosis, and/or deoxygenationprior to introduction into the hydrotreater 38. Alternatively, ifnecessary, the bio-oil stream 36 can be subjected to fractionation,dehydration, phase separation, and/or deoxygenation prior tointroduction into the hydrotreater 38. In one particular embodiment, thebio-oil stream 36 can be subjected to phase separation prior tointroduction into the hydrotreater 38. In such an embodiment, thebio-oil stream 36 is separated into an aqueous stream, which can berecycled into the process, and a non-aqueous stream, which is introducedinto the hydrotreater 38.

The hydrotreater 38 removes oxygen from at least a portion of thebio-oil stream 36 to thereby produce a hydrotreated bio-oil stream 40.The organic oxygen content of the hydrotreated bio-oil 40 can be no morethan about 10, 5, 1, or 0.5 weight percent. Additionally oralternatively, the hydrotreated bio-oil 40 can have a Total Acid Number(TAN) value that is at least 50, 70, or 90 percent less than the TANvalue of the bio-oil stream 36. The hydrotreater 38 can be anyconventional hydrotreater commonly known and used in the art. In certainembodiments, the hydrotreater 38 predominantly removes oxygen from thebio-oil stream 36 and performs little or no hydrocracking of the bio-oilstream 36. In such an embodiment, the hydrotreater 38 converts no morethan about 60, 50, 40, 30, 15, 10, or 5 weight percent of the bio-oilstream into a C⁴⁻ gas.

The hydrotreated bio-oil stream 40 exiting the hydrotreater 38 can thenbe introduced into a fractionator 42. In the fractionator 42, at least aportion of the hydrotreated bio-oil stream 40 can be separated into ahydrotreated biomass-derived naphtha fraction 44, a hydrotreatedbio-distillate fraction 46, and a hydrotreated bio-gas oil fraction 48.Suitable systems to be used in the fractionator 42 include, for example,vacuum distillation, wiped film evaporation, fractional distillation,heated distillation, extraction, membrane separation, partialcondensation, and/or non-heated distillation. In the event that heatdistillation is implemented in the fractionator 42, it can be carriedout under conditions ranging from a vacuum up to pressures aboveatmospheric pressure. As shown in FIG. 1, non-condensable gases removedfrom the fractionator 42 may be, optionally, recycled to the biomassconversion reactor 18 for use as a lift gas.

In certain embodiments, at least 10, 20, or 30 weight percent and/or notmore than 70, 60, or 50 weight percent of the hydrotreated bio-oilstream 40 subjected to fractionating is fractionated into thehydrotreated biomass-derived naphtha fraction 44; at least at least 20,30, or 40 weight percent and/or not more than 80, 70, or 60 weightpercent of the hydrotreated bio-oil stream 40 subjected to fractionatingis fractionated into the hydrotreated bio-distillate fraction 46; and/orat least 1, 2, or 5 weight percent and/or not more than 30, 20, or 15weight percent of the hydrotreated bio-oil stream 40 subjected tofractionating is fractionated into the hydrotreated bio-gas oil fraction48. In certain embodiments, at least 75, 90, or 95 weight percent of thehydrotreated biomass-derived naphtha fraction 44 boils at a temperatureabove 25° C., 30° C., or 35° C. and/or below 225° C., 200° C., or 175°C.; at least 75, 90, or 95 weight percent of the hydrotreatedbio-distillate fraction 46 boils at a temperature of at least 140° C.,160° C., or 180° C. and/or not more than 350° C., 320° C., or 300° C.;and/or at least 75, 90, or 95 weight percent of the hydrotreated bio-gasoil fraction 48 boils at a temperature of at least 280° C., 300° C.,320° C., or 340° C. In certain embodiments, the hydrotreatedbiomass-derived naphtha fraction 44 has a mid-boiling point of at least90° C., 100° C., or 110° C. and/or not more than 150° C., 140° C., or130° C.

Upon exiting the fractionator 42, at least a portion of the hydrotreatedbiomass-derived naphtha fraction 44 can be introduced into a reformer12. The reformer 12 reforms at least a portion of the hydrotreatedbiomass-derived naphtha fraction 44 to thereby produce a reformate 50,hydrogen 52, and light gases. The reforming process can utilize areforming catalyst comprising at least one noble metal such as, forexample, platinum and/or rhenium. The reforming process can be carriedout at a temperature of at least 450° C., 475° C., or 495° C. and/or notmore than 600° C., 550° C., or 525° C. The reforming process can becarried out at a pressure of at least 2, 4, or 5 atmospheres and/or notmore than 75, 55, or 45 atmospheres. In certain embodiments, at least aportion of the heat generated from the hydrotreater 38 can be recoveredand used to heat the reformer 12 to reforming temperatures. Thereforming process can be carried out in any reformer known in the artsuch as, for example, a continuous catalytic reformer (CCR) reformerand/or a semi-regenerative reformer. In certain embodiments, olefin-richstreams can be co-fed to the reformer to reduce benzene production andfacilitate production of higher molecular weight alkyl aromatics. In oneembodiment, the olefin-rich stream includes olefins recovered from thethermo-catalytic conversion process. In certain embodiments, theolefin-rich stream comprises at least 50, 60, or 70 weight percent of C3and C4 olefins.

As discussed above, the hydrotreated biomass-derived naphtha fraction 44can serve as an enhanced reformer feedstock due at least in part to itshigh N+2A value. Furthermore, due to its higher quality, thehydrotreated biomass-derived naphtha fraction 44 does not requireadditional processing and/or refining in order to be used as a reformerfeedstock. For instance, the hydrotreated biomass-derived naphthafraction 44 can have an olefins content of not more than 10, 5, or 2percent by volume and/or a sulfur content of less than 50, 20, or 10parts per million by weight. Since the hydrotreated biomass-derivednaphtha fraction 44 can have such a low olefin and/or sulfur content,the hydrotreated biomass-derived naphtha fraction 44 may not besubjected to hydrocracking, additional hydrotreating, sulfur-removal,and/or any other additional refining before being introduced into thereformer 12.

The hydrotreated biomass-derived naphtha fraction 44 can be combinedwith other naphtha feedstocks prior to being introduced into thereformer 12. For example, at least a portion of the hydrotreatedbiomass-derived naphtha fraction 44 can be combined with apetroleum-derived naphtha prior to being introduced into the reformer12, which can result in raising the N+2A value for the blended feed overthat of the petroleum-derived naphtha. In one embodiment, at least 25,50, 75, or 95 percent by volume of the naphtha being introduced in thereformer 12 is a biomass-derived naphtha that originates from a biomassmaterial. In another embodiment, substantially all of the naphtha beingintroduced into the reformer 12 is a biomass-derived naphtha thatoriginates from biomass. In yet another embodiment, at least 25, 50, 75,or 95 percent by volume of the naphtha being introduced into thereformer 12 is a biomass-derived naphtha that has previously beensubjected to hydrotreatment. In still yet another embodiment,substantially all of the naphtha being introduced into the reformer 12is a biomass-derived naphtha that has previously been subjected tohydrotreatment.

The produced reformate 50 can have a research octane number (RON) thatis at least 5, 10, or 20 percent greater than the RON of thehydrotreated biomass-derived naphtha fraction 44. For instance, thereformate 50 can have a research octane number (RON) of at least 95, 97,or 99. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the reformate isintroduced into a petrochemical plant 54. The petrochemical plant 54 canconvert at least a portion of the reformate 50 into at least onemono-aromatic enriched stream 56 comprising predominately benzene,toluene, ethyl benzene, cumene, or xylenes.

The reforming process can produce at least 600, 700, 800, or 850standard cubic feet of hydrogen per barrel of hydrotreatedbiomass-derived naphtha fraction 44 subjected to reforming. In oneembodiment, at least a portion of the hydrogen 52 produced from thereforming process can be recycled and used in the hydrotreater 38. Inanother embodiment, the hydrogen 52 generated from the reforming processcan be the sole source of hydrogen for the hydrotreater 38.

EXAMPLES Examples 1-5

A naphtha fraction of a hydrotreated bio-mass feedstream was made asillustrated in FIG. 1 by introducing a lignocellulosic material into abiomass conversion reactor and thermo-catalytically converting thebiomass to bio-oil. Solids were removed from the bio-oil and asubstantially solids-free bio-oil stream was then introduced to ahydrotreating reactor and subjected to hydrotreatment. The hydrotreatedbio-oil stream was subjected to fractionation and the C₅+ naphthafraction having a boiling point less than 420° F. was isolated. Thecomposition of the fraction was measured and compared to that of fourC₅+ naphtha fractions typical of those isolated from a variety ofconventional crude oils. Reformer performance or reformability wasdefined by the C₅+ reformate yield versus feed volume percent naphthenes(aka cyclo-paraffins) and aromatics (N+2A) using a reforming yield modelsimilar to that disclosed in Conversion Unit Yield Analysis, 2008 FuelsRefinery Performance Analysis, HSB Solomon Associates LLC, 2010. Themodel was run at a reformer pressure of 200 psig and a Research OctaneNumber (RON) of 96. The data is set forth in Table I which illustratesthe correlation between reformate yield and naphtha composition asmeasured by N+2A. Similar trends are observed when the reforming yieldmodel is run at other target Research Octane Numbers.

TABLE I Comp. Comp. Comp. Comp. Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3 Ex. 4 Ex. 5 Feed N +2A 50 60 70 80 113.6 (vol. %) Reformate Yield, Vol. % 78.3 81.9 85.087.3 91.0 (per 100 gal feed)

The inventor hereby states his intent to rely on the Doctrine ofEquivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of thepresent invention as it pertains to any apparatus not materiallydeparting from but outside the literal scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A naphtha composition comprising at least 20volume percent napthenes, at least 20 volume percent aromatics, and notmore than 10 volume percent paraffins, wherein said naphtha compositionhas an N+2A value of at least 90 percent by volume.
 2. The naphthacomposition of claim 1 wherein said naphtha composition has aradiocarbon signature of at least 50 percent modern carbon (pMC) asmeasured by ASTM D6866-11.
 3. The naphtha composition of claim 2 whereinat least a portion of said naphtha composition is a biomass-derivednaphtha produced by thermo-catalytic conversion of a biomass material.3. The naphtha composition of claim 2 wherein at least 75 weight percentof said naphtha composition boils at a temperature above 25° C. andbelow 225° C., wherein said naphtha composition has a mid-boiling pointof at least 90° C. and not more than 150° C.
 4. The naphtha compositionof claim 2 wherein said naphtha composition has an N+2A value of atleast 95 percent by volume.
 5. The naphtha composition of claim 4wherein said naphtha composition has a paraffins content of not morethan 6 percent by volume, a naphthenes content of at least 20 percent byvolume, an aromatics content of at least 20 percent by volume, and anolefins content of not more than 10 percent by volume.
 6. The naphthacomposition of claim 1 wherein said naphtha composition has aradiocarbon signature of at least 95 pMC as measured by ASTM D6866-11.7. The naphtha composition of claim 6 wherein at least 90 weight percentof said naphtha composition boils at a temperature above 30° C. andbelow 200° C., wherein said naphtha composition has a mid-boiling pointof at least 100° C. and not more than 140° C.
 8. The naphtha compositionof claim 7 wherein said naphtha composition has an N+2A value of atleast 100 percent by volume, a paraffins content of not more than 6percent by volume, a naphthenes content of at least 30 percent byvolume, and an aromatics content of at least 25 percent by volume. 9.The naphtha composition of claim 1 wherein at least 95 weight percent ofsaid naphtha composition boils at a temperature above 35° C. and below175° C., wherein said naphtha composition has a mid-boiling point of atleast 110° C. and not more than 130° C.
 10. The naphtha composition ofclaim 1 wherein said naphtha composition has an N+2A value of at least105 percent by volume, a paraffins content of not more than 4 percent byvolume, a naphthenes content of at least 40 percent by volume, anaromatics content of at least 30 percent by volume, and an olefinscontent of not more than 10 percent by volume.
 11. A process forproducing a fuel, said process comprising: reforming a naphtha in thepresence of a reforming catalyst to thereby produce hydrogen and areformate, wherein said naphtha has an N+2A value of at least 90 percentby volume and a paraffins content of not more than 10 percent by volume.12. The process of claim 11 wherein said naphtha has a radiocarbonsignature of at least 50 percent modern carbon (pMC) as measured by ASTMD6866-11.
 13. The process of claim 12 wherein at least 75 percent byvolume of said naphtha is a biomass-derived naphtha that originates froma biomass material.
 14. The process of claim 13 wherein saidbiomass-derived naphtha is produced by thermo-catalytic conversion ofsaid biomass material.
 15. The process of claim 12 wherein at least 75weight percent of said naphtha boils at a temperature above 25° C. andbelow 225° C., wherein said naphtha has a mid-boiling point of at least90° C. and not more than 150° C.
 16. The process of claim 15 whereinsaid naphtha has an N+2A value of at least 95 percent by volume.
 17. Theprocess of claim 16 wherein said naphtha has a paraffins content of notmore than 6 percent by volume, a naphthenes content of at least 20percent by volume, an aromatics content of at least 20 percent byvolume, and an olefins content of not more than 10 percent by volume.18. The process of claim 11 wherein said naphtha has a radiocarbonsignature of at least 90 pMC as measured by ASTM D6866-11, wherein saidnaphtha has an N+2A value of at least 105 percent by volume and aparaffins content of not more than 4 percent by volume.
 19. The processof claim 11 wherein at least a portion of said naphtha is a hydrotreatednaphtha that has previously been subjected to hydrotreatment, furthercomprising introducing at least a portion of said hydrogen into ahydrotreater used for said hydrotreatment.
 20. The process of claim 11wherein said reforming is carried out at a temperature of at least 450°C. and not more than 600° C., wherein said reforming is carried out at apressure of at least 2 atmospheres and not more than 75 atmospheres,wherein said reforming catalyst comprises at least one noble metal. 21.The process of claim 11 wherein said reformate has a research octanenumber (RON) that is at least 5 percent greater than the RON of saidnaphtha.
 22. The process of claim 11 further comprising introducing atleast a portion of said reformate into a petrochemical plant, whereinsaid petrochemical plant produces at least one mono-aromatic enrichedstream comprising predominately benzene, toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzene, or cumene.
 23. The process of claim 11 wherein at least 90weight percent of said naphtha boils at a temperature above 30° C. andbelow 200° C., wherein said naphtha has a mid-boiling point of at least100° C. and not more than 140° C.
 24. The process of claim 23 whereinsaid naphtha has an N+2A value of at least 100 and not more than 150percent by volume, a paraffins content of not more than 4 percent byvolume, a naphthenes content of at least 30 and not more than 70 percentby volume, an aromatics content of at least 25 and not more than 60percent by volume, an olefins content of not more than 5 percent byvolume, and a sulfur content of less than 20 parts per million byweight.
 25. A process for producing a renewable fuel, said processcomprising: (a) thermo-catalytically converting a biomass material tothereby produce a bio-oil; (b) hydrotreating at least a portion of saidbio-oil to thereby produce a hydrotreated bio-oil; (c) fractionating atleast a portion of said hydrotreated bio-oil to thereby produce at leasta hydrotreated biomass-derived naphtha fraction and a hydrotreatedbio-distillate fraction, wherein said hydrotreated biomass-derivednaphtha fraction has an N+2A value of at least 90 percent by volume anda paraffins content of less than 10 percent by volume; and (d) reformingat least a portion of said hydrotreated biomass-derived naphtha fractionto thereby produce hydrogen and a reformate.
 26. The process of claim 25wherein said bio-oil is not subjected to fractionation prior to saidhydrotreating of step (b).
 27. The process of claim 25 furthercomprising recovering heat from said hydrotreating of step (b) and usingat least a portion of the recovered heat in said reforming of step (d).28. The process of claim 25 wherein said hydrotreated biomass-derivednaphtha fraction is not subjected to hydrocracking after saidfractionating of step (c) and before said reforming of step (d).
 29. Theprocess of claim 25 wherein said fractionating of step (c) is carriedout by heated distillation.
 30. The process of claim 25 wherein saidreforming of step (d) produces at least 600 standard cubic feet of saidhydrogen per barrel of said hydrotreated biomass-derived naphthafraction subjected to said reforming of step (d).
 31. The process ofclaim 25 wherein at least a portion of said hydrogen is used in saidhydrotreating of step (b).
 32. The process of claim 25 wherein saidbiomass material comprises lignocellulose.
 33. The process of claim 25wherein said biomass material comprises wood particles.